What’s your views on people doing Low Skilled jobs all their life? Are they stupid?

[Benny91]

People that are bin men, cleaners, bus drivers and work in retail? Do you think they’re only doing it because they’re not very smart?

As I heard this guy talking to his friend in the Gym today and that he’s a manager at a supermarket and all I overheard was that the longest ones who have worked at the place are ‘thick as shit’, and I was actually quite shocked about what he said! 😳

Also saying about those doing this long term. People often assume that people that do this way of living are failures in life?!

Whats your thoughts?

Some people just have no ambition or drive to have a career, they just want an easy ish job that pays the bills, maybe their parents were the same and never encouraged them .

Well he doesn’t sound intelligent himself with that attitude, won’t know the full potential of his employees, how to develop their skills, help them to progress.
I think there are intelligent and talented people from all walks of life and there can be so many reasons why someone might be in a low skilled job.
They might have a load of GCSE’s but have been encouraged to go out to work, earn a living.
They might have SEN but may not have been identified and supported, etc.
I work with some highly intelligent people who were not interested in continuing their education after GCSE’s at that point in time, living great lives.

People that are bin men, cleaners, bus drivers and work in retail? Do you think they’re only doing it because they’re not very smart?

No I don’t think anything of the kind, because I’m not an arsehole.

I know people who have been in 'unskilled' jobs for years and they are not stupid, some are very intelligent. They are people who are from working class backgrounds, some from abusive backgrounds, who grew up with no examples of people having a successful career due to education and with parents who also had no experience of that so didn't value their childs education. They often lack the confidence to believe that they can do anything other than an unskilled job. It's really sad that they feel there are limits to what they can do, they still deserve respect for what they do. 'Unskilled' jobs are a lot tougher than many professional jobs.

You dont actually have to be brain of Britain to be a supermarket manager. I worked in supermarkets for years and can testify that some managers are as thick as pigshit 😅

No degree does not mean a life in poverty, thats just a lack of imagination. A degree does not mean better life chances, not anymore. Anyone with a bit of common sense can create a decent living online.

This is a weird question. They're not all the same, even the jobs are very different. And even if some do those jobs all their life because for whatever reason, that is the only option... so what? You don't have to socialise with them or marry them if they're not clever enough for you but you'd notice pretty quickly if they went on strike.

Plumbers/gas engineers are not low skilled workers! Jeez would you like someone who was “low skilled” fitting a boiler which could explode and kill your and your family?

Absolutely this. I’m an Oxford graduate. I’m also the first person in my family, ever, to stay in school past the age of 12. Was everyone in my ancestry ‘stupid’ until I happened to be born at a time when secondary education was free and was magically clever? No, of course not. They were people whose intelligence had no outlet and who had no opportunities.

No-one looks down on you like someone very close to your actual position 🙄, the bellend

I think that when youre happy with your life, there's no need to change things. And sometimes life needs your attention more than work. Can't stand someone looking down their nose at someone else honestly

😄 This ^

If you read my post, you'll see I was referring to my mother. Who is now dead. A degree for her would have put her in place for a profession. Instead, she worked in retail her whole life.

I learned from her that education could be a route out of poverty. It was for me and my sister. And our mother was very happy and proud of that.

Definitely this! My grandfather was an extraordinarily clever man. With different life chances he could easily have been a professor. He was financially stable, but frustrated in his work.

I have only ever done min wage jobs. I have shit GCSEs and a college qualification that means nothing nowadays.

I think the people who have done the same min wage jobs for years are probably very good at it and are experts. I know someone with a learning disability who has been in her job for 20 years. They love her and she is very good at it.

Employment is a pyramid within all professions and jobs, not everyone can be promoted, and certainly not climb through the different layers. Also some of us actually like our jobs helping people at the bottom

A lovely lady on the tills at our local shop worked in child protection for years. She loves her job and she’s amazing.

No one thought this during lockdown did they, when low paid shop workers were turning up for work and keeping everyone fed, whilst in fear of their own safety.
Not everyone wants to be the chair of ICI. It's despicable to have such a low opinion of those who do an honest day of work for an honest day of pay

Is this fellow feeling a little insecure perhaps? As if he might be in danger of being knocked back down to a post more suited to his emotional intelligence, like supermarket trolley management? It would probably be a better fit for him.

In any case, none of those jobs are unskilled in that jobs that demand practically nothing of you have just about disappeared. What's expected of most people in most jobs is significantly out of proportion to the renumeration they get in return. Also, if everybody working as a barista or street cleaner decided "stuff this for a box of soldiers. I'm signing up for a law degree," or "I'm going to qualify as a civil engineer," what happens to the roles they leave? We won't stop needing people to do the work. But coffee chains would close, the rubbish would pile up and life would become very uncomfortable and unpleasant. We can't all be solicitors, engineers and architects and it's just as well.

To advance in many jobs you have to be of a certain character which not everyone have. For example autistic people can be intelligent enough to carry out the actual job in the right environment but but feel overwhelmed with other aspects of the job. This has nothing to do with intelligence

This

My boyfriend is autistic and mid 50s. Is on £35k in a job that is more suited to a junior level. But the job suits his interests and it is the longest he has been in a job.
I hate seeing posts on here about how you should be earning a certain amount at a certain age.
it pays his bills and allows him to have the basic life he wants.

Maybe they are intelligent in other ways but not academically. Maybe they aren't very bright at anything, or perhaps they've chosen a low stress role because they have different priorities than making lots of money and being important.

It doesn't really matter.

Rocket scientists are a lot less useful to society than shelf stackers.

I just think they perhaps didn't have the best start in life-but some choose to do those jobs and are very happy doing them, albeit these days I've not idea how anyone can survive on those typical low wages. Personally, I've often fancied sitting on a checkout chatting/people watching and I'm sure it is quite a fun way to spend the day. Being in a boardroom staring at a whiteboard with deadlines would bore the tits off me.

When I worked it was min wage and it was fine to live on. I lived alone in a nice flat that was walking distance from my workplace. Had more than enough for a decent life outside work too.
The cost of living now means that people doing the job I was are now on UC top ups to be able to keep a roof over their head. Or someone doing it is expected to be to live in a HMO.
My job was vital then and it is now.
It was also dead end and the only progression would be supervisor which is a whole different skill set that I did not have. Also more responsibility for not much extra pay.

I dont understand office jobs at all to be honest.

So are you saying shelf stackers are stupid? Do you know what the job shelf stacker involves? Or do you think it’s just chucking stuff on shelves?